shadowing doctors

[kimt2234]

so, I am wondering how people set it up to shadow a doc for so long? I just recently shadowed my ob/gyn for a day and it was awesome. But, I would feel awkward asking him if I could come back more than once or twice for an entire day.

I here people on here talking about shadowing docs for weeks or months. How do you do this?

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[BradenDO]

so, I am wondering how people set it up to shadow a doc for so long? I just recently shadowed my ob/gyn for a day and it was awesome. But, I would feel awkward asking him if I could come back more than once or twice for an entire day.

I here people on here talking about shadowing docs for weeks or months. How do you do this?

Don't feel awkward! Just tell him that you really enjoyed shadowing him and that you learned a lot. Ask if you could start doing it on a regular basis--maybe once a week or whatever is convenient for him and you.

I've been shadowing a FP doc but I've been wanting to check out OB/GYN. I'm worried though that patients won't want me in the room...did you have any problems with that?

 

[threepeas]

so, I am wondering how people set it up to shadow a doc for so long? I just recently shadowed my ob/gyn for a day and it was awesome. But, I would feel awkward asking him if I could come back more than once or twice for an entire day.

I here people on here talking about shadowing docs for weeks or months. How do you do this?

tell them you loved it so much you would love to schedule for a week. give them a months notice or something like that. good luck.

 

[kimt2234]

thanks for the advice. actually, I was there for an entire day and his nurse told each patient a student doctor was with him today and would they mind if I came in during the examination. Only one said no and she was mentally disabled, literally. But everyone else was ok. I got to feel on very pregnant women's tummies to see the position the baby was in and got to see what the other end of a pelvic exam looks like for the first time! Not quite what you think our vaginas look like.

It was so cool though. And just the patient/doctor relationship and the way he interracted with them was just right on. I want to be a doctor. It was great!

 

[Depakote]

I shadowed one doc for 8 months. It was one of the best experiences I ever had. He eventually started letting me do more and more in his office, it was great.

Most docs are comfortable with letting students shadow them, it's not out of place for you to ask, the worst they'll do is politely say no.

 

[RxnMan]

Find a local teaching hospital. Pick a department (I volunteered in an urban hospital's ER, and had a great experience). Go up to that department's office and start asking anyone there which docs like having students shadow them. Docs in teaching hospitals generally have (and required to teach) med students, residents, and fellows, so a pre-med kid won't be in the way. If nothing comes up, go to another department/hospital.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

You have to be assertive. Most docs will take it as a compliment that you want to learn about the profession from them.

 

[gujuDoc]

so, I am wondering how people set it up to shadow a doc for so long? I just recently shadowed my ob/gyn for a day and it was awesome. But, I would feel awkward asking him if I could come back more than once or twice for an entire day.

I here people on here talking about shadowing docs for weeks or months. How do you do this?

The first time I ever shadowed a physician was in highschool. But it was through a summer internship program, where we were grouped with various different doctors over a period of 3 weeks, with about 3 days per doctor on some weeks and 1 or 2 days with doctors on other weeks.

The second time I shadowed in my life, it was through an academic hospital so the doctors were more willing since they teach the med students and residents.

 

[UCDavisdude]

so do you guys just email these doctors and ask em or what?

 

[rehanyazdani]

Yeah just talk to the doc. I think asking them would take a long time because you all know how busy doctors are, especially OB/GYN's. Email might be better. I did a volunteer summer internship at the local hospital and met an orthopaedic surgeon there. He hired me as his research assistant and surgery assistant. So you never know what might happen!

 

[mister_seng]

I shadow several doctors, and each time I asked them when I visited them for a check up, ha ha, but it worked out quite nicely. Especially my family physician, she has allowed me to shadow her once or twice a week, depending on my schedule, for the past 4 months. Its a great way to learn and for the doctor to learn more about you, in regards to writing you a letter of reccomendation.

 

[threepeas]

go to the volunteer office of a major hospital in the area and let them know that you want to help but also get exposed to medicine. i volunteered at shock trauma and with the anesthesiology dept. i saw some cool stuff and didnt feel like a total tool tagging along b/c i had a few responsibilities and was helping out.

 

[CApremed]

Hello Everyone , I'm new to this blog, sadly I didn't know about it until now, but glad to have found it.
I spent the past 2 months shadowing a primary care physician a total of 4 times, and he is leaving for an MPH program out of state. I plan to apply to med schools summer of 09, but I don't want him to forget me; he was decent, but really lacked that passion/drive for medicine, his interaction with patients seemed so labored at times; also, he had a lack of understanding about several social issues as they relate to not only the lives of patients but also doctors; in any regard, should I ask for a letter of recommendation now? Anyone experience this?

I wish to shadow a specialist long-term so I could get honest feedback from the physician himself/herself that they think I have what it takes to go to medical school and that my bedside manners are mature/maturing. Any tips on how to seek out a doctor willing to do this?
Most often I find them too detached emotionally to really care about us being their replacements. But maybe I've just met those kinds and not the nice ones.